Deodorant dispenser



United States Patent O 3,135,969 DEGDORANT DISPENSER Calvin E. Nolen, 12Chase St., White Plains, N.Y. Filed (Ict. 19, 1961, Ser. No. 146,119 2Claims. (Cl. 4--225) The present invention relates generally toimprovements in deodorizing, cleaning and sanitizing devices and itrelates more particularly to an improved device for use with toiletilush tanks for automatically dispensing a predetermined amount ofdeodorant, sanitizing or other treating material which is normally in asolid state.

It is a common practice in the deodorizing of toilet areas to expose thearea to the vapors slowly emanating from a normally solid or liquiddeodorant or by suspending a solid cake of the volatile deodorant in thetoilet bowl directly below the rim thereof. These practices possessnumerous drawbacks. The deodorant is not only continuously dissipatedeven when not required but is of only limited effect since it does notdirectly treat the source of odor. There have been many devices proposedfor automatically adding a deodorant or sanitizing material directly tothe water in the toilet bowl following the ilushing thereof but thesedevices are unsatisfactory and have not been adopted. They arecomplicated and awkward devices, diilicult to attach and interfere withthe proper operation of the ilush cycle. Furthermore, they frequentlylead to unsanitary conditions and thus do not meet the requirements ofthe sanitary codes and otherwise leave much to be desired.

It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to providean improved sanitizing device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improvedsanitizing device for the deodorizing or disinfecting of toilet bowlsand toilet areas.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improvedsanitizing device for use with toilet flush tanks and automaticallyactuated with the flushing cycle to dispense a charge of sanitizingmaterial into the toilet bowl.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a sanitizerdispensing device which is easily and rapidly mounted in theconventional toilet ilush tank and does not interfere with the normaloperation thereof.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide asanitizing device of the above nature characterized by its simplicity,ruggedness and low cost.

The above and other objects of the present invention will becomeapparent from a reading of the following description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a toilet ilush tankprovided with a sanitizer dispensing device in accordance with thepresent invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2 2 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan vieW of the sanitizer dispensing device; and

FIGURE 4 is a front elevational view of the top section thereof.

In a sense the present invention contemplates the combination comprisinga toilet ilush tank including an overflow pipe and a filler tube, areservoir chamber adapted to hold a solid sanitizing material, meansaffording iluid communication between said reservoir chamber and saidoverflow pipe, and a plenum chamber mounted on said reservoir chamberand communicating therewith at a plurality of levels, said filler tubehaving a discharge opening disposed above the level of communicationbetween said reservoir chamber and said overflow pipe and directed intosaid plenum chamber. Another feature of the invention is the structureof the dispensing device, per se.

According to a preferred form of the dispensing device the reservoirchamber is of cylindrical configuration and is provided with a spout atthe top thereof which extends across the upper edge of the overflow pipeto thereby support the reservoir chamber. The reservoir chamber andplenum chamber have a common dividing wall in which is formed ahelically extending communication slot directed substantiallytangentially to the inner face of the reservoir chamber; the slot beinglocated along the edge of the plenum chamber.

Referring now to the drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention the reference numeral 10 generally designates atoilet ilush system employing a sanitizer dispensing device 11 inaccordance with the present invention. The flush system 10 cornprises ailush tank 12 and the associated valve and control arrangement of theconventional type including a pipe 13 connecting the tank 12 with thetoilet bowl in the usual manner and coupled to a valve seat 14 mountedon the base of the ilush tank 12. A buoyant flush valve 16 of well knownconstruction registers with the valve seat 14 and is limited to verticalaligned movement relative thereto by a stem 17 projecting verticallyfrom the valve 16 and slidably engaged by a bracket 18 mounted on anoverflow pipe 19. The overflow pipe 19 communicates with the toilet bowlby way of a coupling member 20 and pipe 13 and projects above the normalwater level in the tank 12.

The upper end of the valve stern 17 terminates in a stop element 21 andis slidably engaged by a connecting link 22 depending from the free endof a pivoted valve opening lever 23. The lever 23 is manipulated in theusual manner by a lever disposed on the front face of the tank 12 andhaving a shaft projecting therethrough to permit the opening of thevalve 16. The tank refilling system includes a vertical pipe 24 locatedin the tank 12 and connected by way of a coupling member 26 located inthe base of the tank 12 to a source of water under pressure. A valve 27is mounted atop the pipe 24, having its inlet connected to the pipe 24and being controlled by a float 28 connected to the valve control memberby a stem 29. The outlet of the iloat controlled valve 27 is connectedto a tank filling pipe 30 extending toward the bottom of the tank 12 andto a ller tube 32 which unlike the normal arrangement is not directedinto the overflow pipe 19 but is disposed as will be hereinafter setforth.

The dispensing device 11 is mounted on the overflow pipe 19 and isadvantageously formed of a synthetic organic plastic material byinjection molding or may be fabricated in any desired manner from othersuitable material. The dispensing device 11 includes an open toppedreservoir chamber 33 having a vertical cylindrical peripheral Wall 34and a base 36. An outwardly downwardly inclined spout 37 projects fromthe upper border of the reservoir chamber 33 and is of substantiallyarcuate transverse cross section. The base of the spout 37 rests on theupper edge of the overflow pipe 19 the spout 37 being directed into theoverflow pipe 17, and the chamber wall 34 extends along and in abutmentwith the pipe 19. In order to maintain the chamber 33 in its mountedposition a lug 38 depends from and is integrally formed with the spout37 and substantially abuts the inner face of the pipe 19.

An open topped plenum chamber 39 is associated with the reservoirchamber 33 and is formed integrally therewith. The plenum chamber 39includes a peripheral wall 40 of substantially arcuate transverse crosssection and extends helically along the chamber wall 34 opposite thespout carrying side thereof. The plenum chamber-.39 is separated fromthe reservoir chamber 33 by a section 41 of the wall 34 which is commonto both chambers. The wall 40 extends above the wall 34 to permitoverflow from the chamber 39 and through the chamber 33 and spout 37into the overow pipe 19.` Communication between the plenum chamber 39and the reservoir chamber 33 is afforded by an elongated slot 42 formedin the common wall section 41 and extending helically downwardly alongsaid wall. The slot or opening 42 is disposed adjacent the convergenceof the walls 40 and 41 and is directed substantially tangentially to theinner face of the chamber wall 34.

The dispenser 11 is applied to the flushing system 10 by merely bendingthe iiller tube 32 out of its normal registry with the overow pipe 19and suspending the dispenser 11 on the overflow pipe 11 by the spout 37in the manner illustrated, the lug 38 projecting into the pipe 19. Theiiller tube is then bent with its discharge opening disposed above anddirected into the plenum chamber 39. The ller tube 32 is generallyformed of soft copper or brass and is readily deformable to the desiredshape. The reservoir chamber 33 is fully or partially filled With asanitizer 44 in solid form as cakes, nuggets, pellets, granules or thelike which are so shaped or arranged as to permit the passage of watertherethrough and therearound. The santitizer 44 is water soluble orreadily water dispersible and may contain a deodorizer, disinfectant,detergent and other materials of any well known or desired composition.

In operation the toilet is ushed by raising the valve 16 in the usualmanner by means of the lever 23. The tank 12 is emptied into the toiletbowl through the pipe 13, the valve 16 returning to its seated closedposition upon emptying of the tank 12. The dropped water level in thetank 12 opens the valve 27 by means of the lowered tloat 28 and stem 29.In addition to relling the tank 12 through pipe 30 water flows throughthe filler tube 32 into the plenum chamber 39. From the plenum chamber39 water flows through the slot 42 into the reservoir chamber 33 alongthe full length thereof in a tangent direction whereby a rotary motionis imparted thereto.

said reservoir chamber and an open topped plenum chamber mounted on saidreservoir chamber, said reservoir and plenum chambers having a commondividing wall having an opening formedV above the bottom thereofaffording communication between said chambers, said g reservoir chamberbeing of cylindrical configuration and such opening being a slotextending helically along said common wall.

2. The combination comprising a toilet flush tank includingan overflowpipe` and a ller tube, a reservoir chamber adapted to hold a solidsanitizing material, means affording fluid communication between saidreservoir chamber and said overflow pipe, and a plenum chamber mountedon said reservoir chamber and communicating therewith at a level belowthe top of said reservoir chamber, and having a water feed openingformed in the top thereof, said filler tube having a discharge openingdisposed above the level of communication between said reservoir chamberand said overow pipe and directed into said plenum chamber water feedopening and being in substantially free exterior communication, saidreservoir chamber and said plenum chamber including a common cylindricaldividing wall, said wall having a vertically helically extending slotformed therein which is substantially tangent to the face of said wallinside said reservoir chamber.

The swirling water in the reservoir chamber 33 dissolves a predeterminedamount of the sanitizer 44 and carries it over the spout 37 and by wayof the overflow pipe 19 into the toilet bowl. Thus, the water in thetoilet bowl References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATESPATENTS 1,170,387 Andrews Feb. 1, 1916 1,679,561 Cantrell Aug. 7, 19282,745,550 Atkinson May 15, 1956 2,978,299 Milne Apr. 4, 1961

1. A DISPENSING DEVICE COMPRISING A RESERVOIR CHAMBER, A SPOUT MEMBERMOUNTED ADJACENT TO THE TOP OF SAID RESERVOIR CHAMBER AND AN OPEN TOPPEDPLENUM CHAMBER MOUNTED ON SAID RESERVOIR CHAMBER, SAID RESERVOIR ANDPLENUM CHAMBERS HAVING A COMMON DIVIDING WALL HAVING AN OPENING FORMEDABOVE THE BOTTOM THEREOF AFFORDING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID CHAMBERS,SAID